Connector with sealed component contact

Abstract

A connector contact is described, of the type that has a platform (50, FIG. 2) which holds a circuit component (52) and a grounding conductor (54), which provides hermetic sealing of the component. The circuit component has bottom and top terminals (70, 72, FIG. 5) each joined by a coupling layer (74, 76) of high surface energy material such as solder, respectively to the platform and to a finger (60) of the grounding conductor. Each coupling layer overhangs the circuit component to leave a surrounding layer portion (80, 82). An encapsulant includes a moisture-proof inner portion (90) which surrounds the component and which extends between and bonds to the surrounding portions (80, 82) of the lower and upper coupling layers.

We claim: 
     
       1. A connector which has a housing and a plurality of contact assemblies in said housing, wherein a first of said contact assemblies includes a contact with opposite ends and with a middle that forms a platform, a circuit component mounted on said platform and having first and second terminals with said first terminal electrically connected to said platform, a ground conductor having a sleeve-shaped forward portion surrounding said contact but out of engagement therewith and a rearward portion electrically connected to said second terminal of said component, and a quantity of encapsulant lying around at least part of said contact middle, said encapsulant having a portion lying within said sleeve-shaped forward portion of said ground conductor and around said contact middle but leaving the outside of said sleeve-shaped portion exposed, and said encapsulant having a portion lying around said component and around said ground conductor rearward portion, characterized by: a lower coupling layer having a high surface energy, which mechanically and electrically joins said first terminal to said platform, and which includes a surrounding layer portion which lies in a region of said platform which surrounds said first terminal;   an upper coupling layer having a high surface energy which mechanically and electrically joins said second terminal to said rearward portion of said ground conductor, and which includes a surrounding layer portion which lies on a region of said rearward portion of said ground conductor which surrounds said first terminal;   said encapsulant includes a moisture-proof inner portion which surrounds said component and which extends between and bonds to said surrounding layer portions of both said lower layer and said upper layer.   
     
     
       2. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: said encapsulant includes an outer portion which surrounds said inner portion, said inner and outer portions being constructed of different materials, with the material of said inner portion being less bondable but more resistant to the passage of moisture therethrough, than the material of said outer portion.   
     
     
       3. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: said upper and lower layers comprise top and bottom metal coupling plates;   said circuit component has substantially flat top and bottom terminal surfaces, and said top and bottom coupling plates each is mechanically and electrically joined in a solder joint to a corresponding one of said terminal surfaces, with each coupling plate having a greater width and length than said terminal surfaces to leave overhanging regions that overhang said terminal surfaces, and with each coupling plate being joined in a solder joint respectively to said platform and to said ground conductor rearward portion;   said inner portion of said encapsulant surrounds said component and bonds to said overhanging regions of said coupling plates.   
     
     
       4. The connector described in claim 3 wherein: said coupling plates have inner faces facing each other;   said inner portion of said encapsulant bonds to said inner faces of said coupling plates.   
     
     
       5. The connector described in claim 3 wherein: said coupling plates have peripheral surfaces;   said inner portion of said encapsulant comprises a band which has upper and lower portions that press against and bond said peripheral surfaces of said top and bottom plates.   
     
     
       6. The connector assembly described in claim 1 wherein: said top and bottom terminals are each substantially rectangular with a width and length, as seen respectively in a top view, and said upper and lower layers each has a width and length at least 8% greater than the width and length of the corresponding terminal to overhang the corresponding terminal by at least about 4% of the width and length of the terminal.   
     
     
       7. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: said coupling layers have solder at their surfaces, and said encapsulant inner portion includes melted glass powder.   
     
     
       8. A method for constructing a component-holding contact assembly which includes a contact having a platform, by mounting a circuit component with top and bottom terminals on said platform with said bottom terminal electrically coupled to said platform, mounting a finger of a ground conductor rearward portion to said second terminal where said grounding conductor has a sleeve-shaped forward portion with an outer surface of low surface energy, and establishing an encapsulant around said component, said platform, and said finger of said ground conductor, characterized by: establishing a bottom layer of high surface energy between and joined to said component bottom terminal and said platform, and establishing a top layer of high surface energy between and joined to said component top terminal and said finger of said ground conductor, wherein each of said layers extends horizontally beyond the corresponding component terminal by at least 4% of the horizontal width and length of the component to leave an overhanging layer region;   said step of establishing an encapsulant includes applying an inner encapsulant portion of moisture proof material around said component and in bonding engagement with said overhanging layer regions of said bottom and top layers of high surface energy material.   
     
     
       9. The method described in claim 8 wherein: said step of establishing an encapsulant includes molding a second encapsulant material which is less moisture resistant than the material of said inner encapsulant portion, around said inner encapsulant and around said finger and said platform.   
     
     
       10. The method described in claim 8 wherein: said inner encapsulant portion has a predetermined minimum cure temperature;   said step of establishing a bottom layer includes laying a bottom preform of a high temperature solder material between said component bottom terminal and said platform, and said step of establishing a top layer includes laying a top preform of said solder material between said component top terminal and said finger, where said high temperature solder material melts at a predetermined solder-melt temperature which is greater than said minimum cure temperature; and including   heating said preforms to at least said solder-melt temperature after laying said preforms to form joining solder layers, and thereafter applying said inner encapsulant portion and then heating said inner portion of said encapsulant as well as said component, platform finger, and said joining solder layers to a temperature between said minimum cure temperature and said solder-melt temperature.   
     
     
       11. The method described in claim 8 wherein: said step of establishing bottom and top layers includes establishing a solder joint between said component bottom terminal and a top coupling plate and between said component bottom terminal and a bottom coupling plate, where each coupling plate is formed of a core plate having a higher melting temperature than said solder-melt temperature and which overhangs a corresponding one of said component terminals, and with each of said solder joints overhanging a corresponding component terminal;   said step of applying an inner encapsulant portion includes bonding said inner encapsulant to said top and bottom solder joints.   
     
     
       12. A contact assembly comprising: a contact having opposite ends and a middle;   a circuit component mounted on said contact middle, said circuit component having first and second terminals, with said first terminal electrically coupled to said contact middle through a first solder joint;   a grounding conductor having a portion electrically coupled to said second terminal through a second solder joint;   each of said solder joints includes a layer of solder that has an overhanging region which extends beyond the corresponding terminal;   an encapsulant which includes an inner portion of moisture-proof material which extends around said component and which bonds respectively to said contact middle and to said grounding conductor portion.   
     
     
       13. The contact assembly described in claim 12 wherein: said encapsulant includes an outer portion of a second material which is less moisture resistant than said moisture-proof material, said outer portion surrounding said inner portion, said contact middle and said rearward portion of said grounding conductor.   
     
     
       14. A contact assembly comprising: a contact having opposite ends and a middle which forms a platform;   a circuit component mounted on said platform, said circuit component having top and bottom terminals;   a grounding conductor having a rearward portion electrically coupled to said second terminal;   top and bottom metal coupling plates lying respectively over and under said top and bottom terminals and joined thereto, with said top and bottom plates electrically and mechanically joined respectively to said ground conductor rearward portion and to said platform, with each of said plates having a higher surface energy than the surfaces of said contact ends;   each of said coupling plates include an overhanging region which extends beyond the corresponding terminal;   an encapsulant which includes an inner portion of moisture-proof material which extends around said component and which bonds to each of said coupling plates.   
     
     
       15. The contact assembly described in claim 14 wherein: said coupling plates have inner surfaces that face each other and said inner portion of encapsulant bonds to said plate inner surfaces.   
     
     
       16. The contact assembly described in claim 14 wherein: each of said coupling plates has a peripheral surface, and said inner portion of encapsulant is in the form of a band that bonds to said peripheral surfaces.   
     
     
       17. The contact assembly described in claim 14 wherein: said encapsulant includes a second portion which is not as moisture proof as said inner portion and which surrounds said inner portion.